by V. Vaughn
I sigh. I believe he'd like to let me go, so I say, "It's okay. You've put a lot of effort into making sure I survive, and I hate to see it be wasted on me diving headfirst out the window."
"That wouldn't destroy you."
"Oh. Silver bullet? Stake to the heart? What is our kryptonite?"
Alexander smiles. "Do you think I was born yesterday?" He laughs before he says, "Sorry. A little vampire humor. I'm not going to tell you how to off yourself until I'm sure you're safe." He frowns. "Hmmm. Maybe..."
"What?"
He gets up from the bed and walks across the room to the small desk, where I notice a laptop. "I may know why you're not reacting to the change the way most new vampires do. Let me make a call." I watch as he picks up a phone and taps on it. "Sebastian." He pauses before he says, "Yes. She's fine. But Lyndsey's progress isn't usual. She's flying through the phases, and she just hit bloodlust again, skipping over the self-destruction stage." He stops speaking, and I assume Sebastian is. "I've never seen anything like it. Do you think— " He's quiet for a few moments before he says, "Yes. Of course. We'll talk later."
The phone clatters on the desk when he sets it down, and I ask, "What? What's wrong with me?"
Alexander's smile grows slowly on his face as he walks toward me. The look in his eyes makes him seem to be in awe, and his tone makes me think he is. "You're an amazing creature now, Lyndsey." He sits back on the bed beside me, and his fingers are soft on my face as he brushes my hair out of my eyes and mouth for me. "Phenomenal, really. I can't wait for you to fully understand."
He's acting strangely. "What does that mean? Tell me."
"I will. When you're ready."
5
Maggie
Now that I realize the man who just introduced himself as Robert is a vampire, my heart is beating so fast I'm afraid I might need to drink Sebastian's blood from my vial. I automatically reach for it as Elizabeth sends emotions of panic through me too. I glance around the dark bar and notice one other patron sitting on a stool. It is a guy that looks as if he's asleep, which leaves the bartender for my only protection. I wave at him to get his attention, and when he glances my way I ask, "Can I get that to go please? And my check."
I say to Robert, "It occurred to me I don't have as much time as I thought I did."
"Then I don't have much time to impress you." He smiles and offers up a set of beautiful white teeth that would be attractive if I didn't imagine them sinking into my neck.
I force my own smile. "I'm sure you're very nice, but I already have a boyfriend."
"I do love a challenge."
I slide away from him a little on my stool, but since I don't think pissing off a vampire is a good idea, I ask, "Do you live here in Boston?"
"I do." He tilts his head at me. "That's an interesting necklace you're wearing. Is it vintage?"
Now my heart stops as if I don't already know I should be afraid. "I'm not sure." I lift the pendant and put it inside my shirt. The last thing I want is for Robert to ask to look at it closer. "It was a gift from a very good friend."
"Nice friend. I bet it was expensive."
When I don't say anything, he asks, "Do you live in Boston too?"
I shake my head. "I'm only here for a short visit."
"Business or pleasure?"
Where the hell is my food? "A little of both." I don't want to give Robert any information about me, so I ask, "What do you do here?"
He swallows a sip of his drink and licks his lips slowly. "Acquisitions." Right. And I bet he's looking to acquire a few pints of my blood. He says, "I didn't catch your name."
I'm saved by the bartender when he sets a white bag down in front of me. I say to him, "Thank you. I'm starving." The bill is smooth in my fingers as the aroma of fried food makes me salivate, and I grab two twenties out of my wallet to pay. If I don't wait for change, I'm giving the bartender a hefty tip, but it's worth it to me to get out of here as quickly as possible. "Keep the rest. Thank you so much for the beer."
I can't get out of the bar fast enough, and I squint in the light of day as I stumble a few steps before my eyes acclimate. The hotel isn't far from the bar, and I walk quickly to get to safety. It's probably my overactive imagination, but I get the sense I'm being followed, and I glance over my shoulder more than once. When I see the big red sign of my hotel ahead, I almost sprint to the building. A bellman holds the door open as he sees me approaching, but as I get closer, I recognize him as Robert. I stop in my tracks. How did he—
"Margaret!" I turn to Adly's voice in relief and walk quickly toward him as he jogs across the street to me. When he gets close, he speaks softly. "I tried Kitty, but you didn't answer. You're going to have to work on that."
I nod and reach out to touch his arm as if it's a touchstone. "I will."
He takes my hand in his. "Are you okay? You're shaking." A car splashes by us as it blares its horn, and I jump a little.
"No. I think I was being followed by— " I glance over at the hotel entrance, but there isn't an employee by the door. I frown and wonder if my imagination ran wild, because while I know vampires can move quickly, how would Robert have gotten into a red bellman's jacket and been at the door in the short time it took for me to get here? I shake my head. "I scared myself silly and thought someone was following me." I pull my hand away from Adly. "I feel foolish. It was nothing."
His brow knits. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. I think it's wise to listen to your gut." He glances around. "What are you doing by yourself?"
"Oh." I roll my eyes. "I was annoyed with Sebastian and kind of stormed out to get dinner." I hold up my bag. "Which I can't wait to eat." I grin at him. "Running from imaginary ghosts works up an appetite. Let's go inside."
He takes my arm and walks into the lobby with me. "Next time you're mad, call me. I don't like the idea of you being alone any more than Sebastian does."
"Why? It's not like I'm a child. Plenty of women my age walk around unescorted."
"Maybe so, but not all of them are about to be famous. Humor me. Okay?"
I chuckle. "Fine. If being my bodyguard makes you happy, then I'll force all my awful habits on you. How do you feel about shopping?"
His finger taps on the elevator call button. "Bring it on. I'm a very good Sherpa."
"Deal."
Adly walks me to my room, and when I get inside, Sebastian is sitting on the couch, with his feet up on the coffee table, watching the news. As I move toward him, he says, "Fried food. You must really be upset with me."
I realize I overreacted a little earlier, but this is my chance to tell him how I feel in a calm manner. I plop down next him, and my bag rustles as I open it up. "You have to know I'm all in with the vampire thing, and I feel like you don't think I can handle your world."
Sebastian clicks off the TV and turns to me. "Margaret." I let out a huff as I unwrap my burger, because it sounds like the beginning of one of his lectures. "There is so much for you to learn, and I don't want to overwhelm you."
I recall when I was a child and a relative asked me about my health. I went into great detail about my condition, but before I could finish, the woman stopped me. I didn't understand, but my mother explained people can only process so much, and they shut down when they can't take more. I say, "I don't need to know everything at once, but I think I can handle a lot more than you've been giving me. I'm tired of feeling as if I'm in the dark on everything. Like the whole thing with Lyndsey. I don't think you're telling me everything."
He frowns. "What else do you think there is to know?"
I set my food down on the coffee table. "How did she end up behind the restaurant, dead?"
"Lyndsey made the mistake of going somewhere alone with a man she just met. That's not a wise thing for any woman to do."
Robert flashes in my mind. Oh my god! Did Sebastian just try to teach me another lesson? I try to contain my anger and say, "I agree that isn't wise. But you seriously think her death was her fault?"
; "No. But I do think it's important to keep yourself out of dangerous situations."
Like what I just did. Now I think he did send Robert to scare me. "Why does everything with you have to be so extreme?" I wonder if he had anything to do with Lyndsey dying too, considering she was intent on finding out what happened to her the night of Matt's party, and while I don't think Sebastian would have killed her, the way he tries to keep me in line makes me think he may have been trying to frighten her, and Liam took it too far.
"Margaret."
I stand up and grab my meal. "You are such a jerk." I go into my room and slam the door. I climb on my bed and spread my food out without any concern about getting grease or crumbs on the covers. A fry is salty on my tongue when I bite it, and I recall how afraid Robert made me. I was worried some strange vampire would not only drink my blood but might go far enough to kill me if he didn't live by the same code the Hart brothers and their clan do.
I think back to when I first met Sebastian and remember how he made me turn over my cell phone so he could read my texts and ensure I wasn't leaking secrets— and that he knew my password to access them. When I got mad at him, he scared the daylights out of me by showing me his vampire side instead of just telling me in a rational manner. And then there was the incident of feeding on my friends to drive home his point about how I can't hang out with humans regularly. I suppose the latest with Robert shouldn't surprise me.
I take a big bite of my burger and let the savory flavor fill my mouth with the hope it will take the edge off my anger. By the time I'm done eating, I've calmed down. I sneak out to the living room to retrieve my phone, and I'm grateful to discover Sebastian isn't there. I guess he's in his room, getting ready for tonight. I return to my room and text Alexander. "Your brother is making me crazy with his fatherly ways. How's training Lyndsey going?"
I'm surprised when he texts back almost immediately. "She's keeping me on my toes, but it's going well. Want to talk later tonight when you get back from your signing?"
Warmth fills me as I grin. It makes me think that Alexander isn't going to follow Sebastian's order for him to stay away from me and that maybe I'll get a chance to see him sooner than I'd hoped. "I'd love that. I'll let you know when I'm free."
I let thoughts of Alexander keep me smiling as I get ready for the book signing, and when it's time to find Sebastian, I morph into Kitty Kane, romance author. I walk out of my room with my head held high and take pleasure in pretending Sebastian works for me instead of the other way around.
6
Lyndsey
"You're an amazing creature." I can't get the phrase Alexander uttered out of my head. He said it as if I were something to be revered, and it freaked me out. For all I know, I'm going to find out I'm not just a vampire. I glance over at him at the desk in my room. He's smiling as he types on his phone, and I wonder if he's texting Kitty. Considering she's the one who gave me the blood that made me a vampire, she's not my favorite person right now. But I'm curious why she did it, and I think Alexander might be the one I can ask.
I say, "Let me guess. You're texting your girlfriend."
He looks up. "How did you know?"
My chains rattle as I shift my position to sit higher on the bed. "I recognize the smile. It's the giddy I'm-so-in-love-with-her grin." I figure I should pretend I think Kitty is great, so I ask, "How is her book tour going?"
He sets the phone down. "Well. How do you feel?"
I lick my teeth and wonder if vampires brush them. "I'm fine, although the handcuffs are annoying."
Alexander gets up and walks over to me. "I'm sure they are. Would you like to get out of this room and stretch your legs?"
"My god, yes." The desire to move makes me imagine running the second I’m free, and the need to feed rushes forward as my fantasy of jogging makes way to a bloody massacre of the coffee shop regulars. I let out a groan as I fight to regain control.
As Alexander works on releasing me, I ask, "Can I ask you a question about Kitty?"
"Sure."
"Do you know why she was pouring Sebastian's blood in my mouth from a container when they found me? Wouldn't it have been easier for him to slit his wrist and do it himself?"
Alexander frowns. "My brother gave her a vial of his blood in case of emergencies because it can heal."
"Oh. So Sebastian is some super vampire with healing powers."
"No. All vampires' blood can heal humans."
Whoa. Kitty carries Sebastian's blood but is the girlfriend of Alexander. That's messed up, but I'm not touching it. I remember she kissed Aiden too. I'm no slut shamer, but the girl gets around. What is stranger to me is that Kitty would be the one to bring me back from the dead, and I wonder if she had something to do with Liam going after me. "Do you know why Liam killed me?"
"I don't. He's not from our clan, but I assure you we're looking into it. Sebastian and I have worked very hard to make sure the vampires in Maine follow protocol."
"Protocol?"
"Yes. You'll need to follow it too. We don't allow our kind to kill."
As I rub my wrists, I think about my excruciating need to feed and try to imagine stopping. It doesn't compute, considering I'm like a junkie shooting up. "But there must be mistakes made often."
"Not if we can help it. Dead bodies could get the wrong people asking questions and finding out about us. Every vampire must learn to feed moderately so the human can live before we allow them to be on their own."
I swing my legs over the side of the bed and rotate my ankles to get the joints working again. I ask, "But isn't that dangerous too? I mean, I got into this mess because I knew something happened that night. I can't be the only one that has tried to find out what it was."
"Actually, as far as I know, you are."
I stand up and bend down to stretch my hamstrings as I remember the way Jenna, Becky, and Aiden all brushed off my concerns about what happened that night, as if it were a usual thing for all of us to pass out and wake up hours later with no recollection of why. My muscles burn with tightness, and I wonder if asking questions was why Liam came after me. Maybe Kitty was trying so hard to keep me from finding out that Sebastian fed on me that she sent Liam to warn me, and when Liam went too far, she tried to fix it. Or was Sebastian the one who sent Liam, and when Kitty found me, she tried to fix it? But why did either of them think making me a vampire would be a good idea? I shake my head because none of it makes sense. Neither of them seem like killers.
Whatever happened, I think either Sebastian or Kitty knows why and likely had a hand in it, but I doubt it would be a good thing for them to think I'm suspicious. I stand up from my stretching and say, "When you do find Liam, I'd like to let him have a piece of my mind."
Alexander tilts his head at me. "What about Kitty? She's the one that turned you into a vampire." He quickly adds, "Which, by the way, she didn't realize she was doing. She thought it would save your life."
I smile with that interesting piece of information. It points a finger in the direction of Kitty trying to correct a wrong done to me and also makes me think I need to have a chat with Kitty whenever I get the chance.
Alexander asks, "Ready to go downstairs and find a way to entertain ourselves?"
"I am. Lead the way."
I know I came up the grand staircase when I first arrived, but due to my frantic state as a sex fiend, I didn't notice how spectacular it was. A plush carpet runner so thick my toes sink into it lines the stairs, and the railings are slick with years of furniture polish. I ask, "Did you grow up in this house?"
"No."
"Too bad. I could see you as a little boy sliding down the bannister."
He glances over his shoulder at me with a twinkle in his eyes. "Who says I haven't?"
I chuckle as he turns right and we walk down a hallway. Everywhere I've been so far is dark, and I long to see daylight. But I imagine I'll get used to it over time, considering the sun will burn me. When we get to the end of the hall, Alexander throws ope
n two large doors and flips on a light switch. The first thing I notice is the huge crystal chandelier that makes me think of hundreds of stars. "Wow." I move my gaze to the gilded walls with scrolls on the wallpaper that look as if they might be soft to the touch. Blackout curtains cover all the windows.
"Do you play pool?" asks Alexander. The floor, which might be marble, is cool on my bare feet as I walk toward the center of the room. I notice a grand piano off in one corner, and I imagine the fancy parties that might have happened in here. "A little help here?" he asks, and I turn my attention to Alexander.
He's standing over by a large pool table that has been pushed against the wall next to a wet bar that is stored with it. I walk over, and he says, "Grab that end so we can move it."
I know I'm supposed to be strong, but pool tables must weigh hundreds of pounds. The wood edge is smooth on my fingers as I grab it, and when it feels as if I'm lifting a card table, I grin at Alexander across from me. "This must come in handy."
"It does." Once the table is in place, Alexander walks over to the bar. "Want a beer?" he asks.
"Of course. I think my game gets better with alcohol." It occurs to me I don't know what time it is. Being chained up as I cycled through my phases of change has given me a warped sense of time, because it feels like morning. And since I have no idea where my cell phone is, I can't check. "What time is it?"
"Late afternoon." Caps clatter on the countertop as he removes them, and he hands me my drink. He holds his beer up, and our bottles clink when they connect in a toast.
As I take a sip of my beer, I think about my friend Aiden and wonder if he was hurt when he heard I left for South Africa without saying goodbye. I imagine I have a lot of texts from my friends and that they all wonder why I left so abruptly. I ask, "Where's my phone?"
